DOCSLIB.ORG

Lamentations

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Lamentations Lamentations Jerusalem’s Desolation – Despair to Prayer Ed Anthony [email protected] Overview Ed Anthony [email protected] The Title • Lamentations – Dirge or elegy – Latin Vulgate and LXX use “lamentations” • From Talmud – “qinot” – to cry out • Greek – Threnon – wailings • Ekhah – How!, alas!, oh!, or ah! • First word of chapters 1, 2, 4 – Hebrew Bible 12/29/2020 3 Place • English Bible – After Jeremiah • Based on chronology and content connections • Hebrew Bible – In the Ketuvim (writings); part of Megilloth (scrolls) – 5 Books – Song of Solomon – read at Pesah (Passover) – Ruth – read at Shauvot (feast of weeks) – Lamentations – read on 9th of Av – destruction of temples – Ecclesiastes – read at Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) – Esther – read at Purim – salvation from Haman 12/29/2020 4 Genre • Poetry – Six books • 3 teaching – Proverbs (wisdom in relation to God) – Ecclesiastes (life in relation to God) – Job (suffering in relation to God) • 3 devotional – Psalms (praise) – Song of Solomon (love) – Lamentations (judgment and suffering) 12/29/2020 5 Author • Author is not given – Most support points to Jeremiah – LXX (picked up by Vulgate) • The introduction reads “and it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, that Jeremias sat weeping, and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said” – Tone and style like Jeremiah – Jewish tradition suggests Jeremiah 12/29/2020 6 Author • Not the lament of Jeremiah for Josiah – 2 Ch. 35:25 – Jeremiah did a lament for Josiah – and written in book of laments – a different book since here it is clear that Jerusalem has been sacked and the king (perhaps Jehoiachin or Zedekiah) is taken captive (La. 2:9) and not killed in battle as in Josiah’s case • Saw fall of Jerusalem (Je. 52; 2 Ki. 24-25). 12/29/2020 7 Date • Likely 586 BC or soon after – Appears to be after the captivity started – Jeremiah – perhaps in Mizpah or Egypt • Je. 40-43 12/29/2020 8 Related Scriptures • Time of king Jehoiachin/Zedekiah – 2 Ki. 24-25 – 2 Ch. 36 – Jeremiah 39:1-18 • God’s Word to Israel – Dt. 28 12/29/2020 9 Related Scriptures Lamentations Deuteronomy 1:3 She dwells among the nations but finds 28:65 And among those nations you will find no no rest. rest. 1:5a Her foes have become her head. 28:44 He will be the head, you will be the tail. 1:5c Her little ones have gone away as 28:32 Your sons and your daughters will be captives before the foe. given to another nation. 1:6c They have fled without strength before 28:25 You shall flee seven ways before them. the pursuer. 1:18c My young virgins and men have gone 28:41 You will have sons and daughters, but into captivity. they will go into captivity. 2:15 All who pass along the way clap their 28:37 You will become a horror, a proverb, a hands in derision at you. taunt among all the people where the Lord will drive you. 2:20 Should women eat their offspring? 28:53-57 Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body. 2:21 In the dust of the streets lie young and 28:50 Who will have no respect for the old, nor old. show favor to the young. 12/29/2020 10 Related Scriptures Lamentations Deuteronomy 4:10 The hands of compassionate women 28:56-57 Refined and delicate women among you boiled their own children. will eat their children secretly for lack of anything else. 5:2b Our houses were given to aliens. 28:30 You will build a house, but you will not live in it. 5:5 There is no rest for us. 28:65 And among those nations you will find no rest. 5:10 The burning heat of famine. 28:24 The rain of your land is powder and dust. 5:11 Women of Zion ravished. 28:30 You will betroth a wife but another man will ravish her. 5:12 Elders were not respected. 28:50 Who will have no respect for the old. 5:18 Foxes prowl in Zion. 28:26 And your carcasses will be food to all birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 12/29/2020 11 Structure • 5 chapters – 4 poems and a prayer – 1, 2, 4, 5 – 22 verses; 3 – 66 verses • 1-4 are acrostics using the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet – 1-2 – three lines per verse – 66 lines each – 3 – 3 verses for each letter (1 line each) – 66 lines – 4 – 2 lines per verse – 44 lines • 5 is 22 verses – 1 line per verse – but not an acrostic • Total of 264 lines • Parallelism used in up to 162 lines (nearly all of chapter 5 is this way) 12/29/2020 12 Structure • Caveats – Chapter 5 not an acrostic – Some argue for an extra line in 1:7 and 2:19, making 266 lines – In chapters 2 through 4 the “ayin” and “pe” are in reverse order. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 - Ayin 17 - Pe 18 19 20 21 22 b v g d h w z h t y k kh l m n s p ph ts q r s sh t ת ש ר ק צ ץ פ ף ע ס נ ן מ ם ל כ ך י ט ח ז ו ה ד ג ב א Chapter 1 ת ש ר ק צ ץ ע פ ף ס נ ן מ ם ל כ ך י ט ח ז ו ה ד ג ב א Chapter 2-4 12/29/2020 13 Structure • Other alphabet acrostics in Hebrew – Ps. 9 and 10 together – Ps. 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145 • In 25, 34, 145 each letter starts a half verse • In 119 there are 22 sections of 8 verses where each verse starts with the same letter within each section – Pr. 31:10-31 • In the Septuagint the letters pe and ayin are reversed in Proverbs 31 as they are in Lamentations 2-4 12/29/2020 14 Word Cloud - ESV 12/29/2020 15 Word Counts 45 Lord 5 cause 4 poured 3 heads 3 wrath 2 given 20 daughter 5 cry 4 priests 3 heaven 2 according 2 glad 18 like 5 days 4 said 3 iniquity 2 afflicted 2 great 15 Zion 5 faint 4 set 3 Israel 2 ago 2 grief 13 become 5 ground 4 shall 3 Jacob 2 beauty 2 grind 13 day 5 head 4 soul 3 killed 2 bent 2 groan 12 will 5 Judah 4 strength 3 may 2 bitterly 2 groans 11 hands 5 let 4 swallowed 3 midst 2 bitterness 2 grown 11 made 5 none 4 sword 3 mothers 2 blood 2 hearts 10 enemy 5 pass 4 tears 3 mouth 2 bow 2 heavens 10 people 4 away 4 therefore 3 now 2 bowed 2 High 10 young 4 bread 4 things 3 peoples 2 call 2 hiss 9 among 4 called 4 turned 3 pity 2 came 2 hot 9 anger 4 can 4 wait 3 precious 2 caused 2 house 9 eyes 4 comfort 3 Away 3 princes 2 churns 2 hunger 9 hand 4 desolate 3 bear 3 prophets 2 cloud 2 iniquities 9 without 4 destruction 3 became 3 punishment 2 comforter 2 jackals 8 men 4 earth 3 bones 3 pursuers 2 cried 2 joy 7 children 4 elders 3 broken 3 revive 2 crush 2 king 7 city 4 every 3 cast 3 right 2 darkness 2 lay 7 Jerusalem 4 festival 3 commanded 3 ruins 2 dim 2 left 7 man 4 fire 3 dealt 3 sanctuary 2 distress 2 lie 7 one 4 foe 3 done 3 sinned 2 dwell 2 life 7 seen 4 foes 3 dust 3 sins 2 Edom 2 lives 7 streets 4 food 3 end 3 skin 2 exile 2 longer 6 come 4 good 3 enter 3 stones 2 fallen 2 love 6 enemies 4 heard 3 face 3 street 2 false 2 lovers 6 heart 4 help 3 fierce 3 taunts 2 filled 2 many 6 long 4 hope 3 flow 3 transgressions 2 filthy 2 might 6 nations 4 laid 3 forever 3 upon 2 find 2 mourning 6 see 4 Let 3 gates 3 wall 2 forget 2 must 6 women 4 Look 3 get 3 water 2 full 2 near 5 affliction 4 night 3 gold 3 wilderness 2 gave 2 never 5 brought 4 old 3 gone 3 wood 2 give 2 object 12/29/2020 16 Word Count – Chapter 1 12/29/2020 17 10 Lord 2 days 1 bound 1 fierce 1 mighty 1 servitude 6 become 2 dealt 1 bread 1 find 1 mocked 1 set 5 among 2 desolate 1 called 1 finds 1 mourn 1 sinned 4 like 2 distress 1 captives 1 fire 1 multitude 1 sits 4 none 2 enter 1 captivity 1 fled 1 nakedness 1 skirts 4 strength 2 faint 1 caused 1 flow 1 neck 1 slave 3 affliction 2 filthy 1 cheeks 1 forbade 1 neighbors 1 sought 3 comfort 2 foe 1 churns 1 friends 1 net 1 spirit 3 day 2 food 1 commanded 1 full 1 night 1 spread 3 enemies 2 groan 1 congregation 1 future 1 nothing 1 stomach 3 enemy 2 groans 1 crush 1 gates 1 old 1 street 3 foes 2 hand 1 deal 1 gave 1 overtaken 1 stretched 3 gone 2 heard 1 death 1 glad 1 pass 1 stretches 3 hands 2 heart 1 deceived 1 gloated 1 pasture 1 stunned 3 Jerusalem 2 Judah 1 deer 1 great 1 peoples 1 suffering 3 Look 2 lovers 1 departed 1 grievously 1 perished 1 suffers 3 men 2 midst 1 descend 1 groaning 1 place 1 summoned 3 nations 2 now 1 despise 1 hard 1 prevailed 1 sword 3 people 2 one 1 despised 1 head 1 princes 1 terrible 3 revive 2 precious 1 done 1 hear 1 princess 1 thing 3 see 2 priests 1 downfall 1 help 1 prosper 1 thought 3 things 2 seen 1 dwells 1 high 1 provinces 1 together 3 transgressions 2 sorrow 1 elders 1 honored 1 pursuer 1 took 3 young 2 tears 1 evildoing 1 house 1 pursuers 1 trade 3 Zion 2 therefore 1 exile 1 inflicted 1 rebelled 1 treacherously 2 afflicted 2 upon 1 eyes 1 Jacob 1 rebellious 1 treasures 2 away 1 anger 1 face 1 left 1 rejected 1 triumphed 2 bitterly 1 announced 1 fail 1 let 1 remembers 1 trodden 2 brought 1 assembly 1 fall 1 Let 1 resting 1 trouble 2 children 1 back 1 far 1 lonely 1 right 1 turned 2 city 1 became 1 fastened 1 long 1 roads 1 turns 2 come 1 behold 1 feet 1 made 1 sanctuary 1 uncleanness 2 comforter 1 bereaves 1 fell 1 majesty 1 search 1 virgin 2 daughter 1 bones 1 festival 1 many 1 sent 1 virgins 12/29/2020 18 Structure Lost Devotion – Gained Affliction – O Lord Behold My Affliction – Despair Chapter 1 How lonely sits the city (1, 19) – a widow (1) From princess among the nations to slavery (1) The city afflicted None to comfort her; no resting place (2, 3, 9, 16, 17, 21) She weeps (2, 16); Daughter of Zion (6) Mourning and gates are desolate (4) Jerusalem remembers days of old (7); sinned (8) A mourning widow My affliction (5, 7, 9), sorrow (12), suffering (18), groans (4, 8, 11, 21-2) Foes now the head (5); the sword (20) After Destruction Seeking bread (11); my neck (14), eyes weeping (16), heart turned (20, 22) Fire from on high (13) Alas! You have brought the day (21)
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lamentations 2 • the Second Step Of
    Lamentations 2 • The Second Step of Acknowledgment Introduction What is Lamentations doing in the middle of the books of the “great” prophets? To the left of it is Isaiah and Jeremiah, the greatest prophets of the time leading up to the exile of all Israel, to the right is Ezekiel and Daniel, the greatest prophets in the period of the exile, and right in the middle is Lamentations with its five little chapters. Why is it amongst the books of the major prophets? [No, it’s not just because most attribute its authorship to Jeremiah.] One way to look at it is that Isaiah and Jeremiah explain conditions leading up to judgment, Ezekiel and Daniel expound on the situation after judgment, but only Lamentations tells what it was like during judgment. Lamentations has been described as “the hinge on a great big door—small, but the crucial mechanism that allows the door to swing both ways”. Lamentations teaches how we should respond when we’ve experienced God’s judgment for the life-choices we’ve made and desire to be reconciled to Him. It’s a manual for the backslidden. Observation Lamentations is not just one long poem repeating the same thing over and over—each chapter covers a distinct topic: • Chapter 1: Recognition. Those having experienced God’s judgment are finally seeing with their eyes for the first time the truth of their spiritual condition that was the cause for judgment. Nowhere in Lamentations is the name of the nation or its ruler mentioned who conquered and enslaved them; they finally recognize they were just a tool of God’s judgment which was fully justified because of unfaithfulness.
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Lamentations, an Introductory Study [Texas Pastoral Study Conference, April 28, 1981] By: Pastor Thomas Valleskey
    The Book of Lamentations, an Introductory Study [Texas Pastoral Study Conference, April 28, 1981] by: Pastor Thomas Valleskey The Name of the Book and its Place in the Canon meaning, “Ah, how!” In ,אביה ,In the Hebrew text the Book is named after its first word the Septuagint, however, the book receives its name from the contents of the book. The Septuagint title simply reads qrenoi (tears) and adds a subscript ‘of Jeremiah.’ The Latin Vulgate retains the title ‘tears’ (threni) and adds the interpretation, ‘id est lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae’. It is from the Vulgate that the English translations take their title for this book, The Lamentations of Jeremiah. In the Hebrew canon Lamentations was placed just after Ruth in the Megilloth (rolls)of the Kethubhim (writings) or Hagiographa (sacred writings), the Hebrew canon being divided into the torah (the writings of Moses), the nebhim (the writings of the called prophets) and the ketubhim (the writings of other holy men of God). The Septuagint places Lamentations after the prophecy of Jeremiah and the apocryphal book of Baruch, and this position was later adopted by the other versions, including the Vulgate. The English versions (and Luther) adopt the Septuagint placement of the book. The authenticity of its place in the Old Testament canon has never been questioned. The Authorship of Lamentations According to both Jewish and Christian tradition the author of Lamentations was the Prophet Jeremiah. This tradition already appears in the Septuagint, “And it came to pass after Israel had been taken away into captivity and Jerusalem had been laid waste that Jeremiah sat weeping and lamented this lamentation over Jerusalem and said.” The Vulgate repeats these words and adds to them, “with a bitter spirit sighing and wailing.” The early Church Fathers, such as Origen and Jerome, unanimously accepted Jeremiah as the author of this book.
    [Show full text]
  • Lamentations
    An Exegetical Commentary on Lamentations James E. Smith Originally published in the Bible Study Textbook Series, College Press, 1972. Revised Edition 2006 1 INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS Lamentations is one of those Old Testament writings which has yet to receive its full share of recognition and appreciation by the Christian world. The reason for the neglect of this little book is not difficult to discover. In the popular view Lamentations is a somber and gloomy record of unrelieved grief as Jeremiah weeps over the ruins of Jerusalem. When viewed in this manner there is little about Lamentations that would attract the Bible student. However, the book is much more than a cheerless protest of the inequities of life. It is more than “a cloudburst of grief, a river of tears, a sea of sobs” as one writer has called it. This five-fold poem is really an affirmation of faith in the justice and goodness of God. The author has tasted the bitter dregs of pain and sorrow, of cruelty and ignominy, of frustration and loneliness and yet he dares to cling to a faith undaunted, a faith which triumphs over circumstances. The book endeavors to explain history and place calamities in proper perspective. When the true purpose of Lamentations is recognized this amazing little book has a great deal to contribute to a Christian understanding of war and natural catastrophes. TITLE AND POSITION Like several other OT books Lamentations originally took its title from the first Hebrew word of the book. The book is called Ekah which is an exclamation expressing sorrow and sympathy.
    [Show full text]
  • Rabbi Hayyim Angel Fincessantly Warned His People That Faculty, Isaac Breuer College Jerusalem, the Temple, and Their Lives Were in the Gravest Jeopardy
    Lamentations: Putting the Mouth Before the Eye1 or over 40 years preceding the destruction of the First Temple (627-586 B.C.E.), Jeremiah Rabbi Hayyim Angel Fincessantly warned his people that Faculty, Isaac Breuer College Jerusalem, the Temple, and their lives were in the gravest jeopardy. The people mocked, threatened, and physically mistreated the prophet. Jerusalem as a woman whose husband God for help, but conclude with Most scorned his message, thereby has abandoned her. While this initial disappointment and uncertainty as to sealing their own doom. imagery evokes pity, the chapter what the future will bring. then adds that she took lovers and Finally, Jeremiah’s nightmarish visions therefore deserved this abandonment. Reflections on the Tragedy2 became a reality. The Babylonians Israel admits that she has sinned and breached the walls of Jerusalem, asks for mercy and for God to punish Chapter 1 acknowledges that the killing and plundering, and burning her enemies. destruction of Jerusalem is God’s work the city to the ground. Other nations, (1:12-15). While the main theme including spurious allies, mocked Chapter 2 asks: how could God be so harsh? The tone shifts from one of of chapter 1 is mourning, the author Israel, looted its wealth, and even repeatedly vindicates God for the turned Jewish captives over to shame and despair to one of anger. There also is a shift of emphasis from disaster, blaming it squarely on Israel’s the Babylonians. The Temple was sins (see 1:5, 8, 14, 18, 20, 22). destroyed, and most of the humiliated Jerusalem as a victim to God as the survivors were dragged into captivity, Aggressor.
    [Show full text]
  • Lamentations 2 – the Anger of the Lord
    mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com LAMENTATIONS 2 – THE ANGER OF THE LORD (SEP 11 ATTACKS: “The LORD is like an enemy, He has swallowed up Israel”) INTRO This paper is part of a series on the September 11 attacks of the World Trade Center in New York. The physical evidence is indisputable: two 110 story steel and concrete towers collapsed in 9 to 15 seconds – pulverized into dust without release of heat – and fell so gently to the ground there was barely a seismic trace. Science can’t explain it – we believe it was the finger of God – a miraculous sign of the Last Days. Our page: 11 Sep 911 has a full discussion of the evidence and links to the live videos. SUMMARY Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. Jerusalem fell to the Romans. Two object lessons are right there staring Christians in the face. The reality that God may sweep a land with a spiritual heritage into the dustbin is something that must never be denied. Lamentations 2 is prophetic – God is going to do this a third time at the end of the Age of Grace. Believers in Jesus need to watch the signs of the times – Sep 11 – and be spiritually prepared for God’s judgment to fall all around them. In the Last Days we don’t pay attention to teachers in the Christian churches – these are the ones who can’t interpret the signs – Lamentations 2 says ‘in his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest.’ (v.6) In the Last Days the answer to the question of why all these terrible things are happening won’t be found on the lips of men: ‘the law is no more and her prophets no longer find visions from the LORD’.
    [Show full text]
  • Lamentations
    WISDOM COMMENTARY Volume 30 Lamentations Gina Hens-Piazza Carol J. Dempsey, OP Volume Editor Barbara E. Reid, OP General Editor A Michael Glazier Book LITURGICAL PRESS Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org A Michael Glazier Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by Ann Blattner. Chapter Letter ‘W’, Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 4, Donald Jackson, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2017 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. 123456789 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hens-Piazza, Gina, 1948– author. Title: Lamentations / Gina Hens-Piazza ; Carol J. Dempsey, OP, volume editor, Barbara E. Reid, OP, general editor. Description: Collegeville, Minnesota : Liturgical Press, 2017. | Series: Wisdom commentary ; Volume 30 | “A Michael Glazier book.” | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2017022472 (print) | LCCN 2017000813 (ebook) | ISBN 9780814681794 (ebook) | ISBN 9780814681541 (hardcover) Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Lamentations—Commentaries. | Catholic Church—Doctrines.
    [Show full text]
  • Lamentations 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on Lamentations 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE AND POSITION The English title of this book comes from the Talmud,1 which called it "Lamentations" (Heb. qinoth). The Hebrew Bible has the title "Ah, how" or "Alas" or "How" (Heb. 'ekah), the first word in the first, second, and fourth chapters. The title in the Septuagint is "Wailings" (Gr. Threnoi). The position of Lamentations after Jeremiah in the English Bible follows the tradition of the Septuagint and Vulgate versions. They placed it there because of its connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, which Jeremiah recorded, and the Jewish tradition that Jeremiah wrote both books. In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations occurs between Ruth and Ecclesiastes as the third book of the "Megilloth" or "Scrolls," within the third and last major division of the Old Testament, namely: the "Hagiographa" or "Writings." The Megilloth consists of The Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. The Jews read each of these books on a special feast or fast day each year: Passover, Pentecost, the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem, Tabernacles, and Purim respectively. The Megilloth followed three books of poetry (Job, Proverbs, and Psalms) and preceded three other books (Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles) in the Hagiographa. WRITER AND DATE This book does not identify its writer. The common view that Jeremiah wrote it rests on a preface in the Greek Septuagint, which the Latin Vulgate 1Baba Bathra 15a. Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L. Constable www.soniclight.com 2 Dr. Constable's Notes on Lamentations 2021 Edition adopted and elaborated on.
    [Show full text]
  • A Text-Critical Analysis of the Lamentations Manuscripts
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Stellenbosch University SUNScholar Repository AText-criticalAnalysisoftheLamentationsManuscripts fromQumran(3QLam,4QLam,5QLam aand5QLam b) EstablishingthecontentofanOldTestamentbookaccordingtoits textualwitnessesamongtheDeadSeascrolls by GideonR.Kotzé DissertationpresentedinfulfilmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeDoctorofTheology(Old Testament)attheUniversityofStellenbosch Promoters: Prof.LouisJonker FacultyofTheology DiscplineGroupOldandNewTestament Prof.JohannCook FacultyofArtsandSocialSciences DeptofAncientStudies March2011 Declaration Bysubmittingthisdissertationelectronically, I declarethattheentirety ofthework contained thereinismyown,originalwork, thatIamthesoleauthorthereof(savetotheextentexplicitly otherwisestated),thatreproductionandpublicationthereofbyStellenboschUniversitywillnot infringeanythirdpartyrightsandthatIhavenotpreviouslyinitsentiretyorinpartsubmittedit forobtaininganyqualification. Date:15February2011 Copyright©2011StellenboschUniversity Allrightsreserved ii Summary This study takes as its point of departure the contributions of the Dead Sea scrolls to the disciplineofOldTestamenttextualcriticism.Itdealswithaparticularapproachtothisdiscipline and its application to the four Lamentations manuscripts from Qumran (3QLam, 4QLam, 5QLam aand5QLam b).TheapproachtoOldTestamenttextualcriticismfollowedinthestudy treatstheQumranmanuscriptsofLamentations,theMasoretictextandtheancienttranslationsas witnessestothecontentofthebookandnotmerelyaswitnessestoearlierformsofitsHebrew
    [Show full text]
  • Lamentations – Jeremiah Weeps
    Lamentations Jeremiah Weeps Lamentations 3:21-26 January 20, 2018 Today As noted last week, king Josiah led the last revival in Judah. Many hearts were moved, but for the majority, it was only a surface change. Like Zephaniah, Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry during the reign of Josiah and continued through the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedikiah. Also like Zephaniah, Jeremiah attempted to call Judah back to God, but he was never able to prevent the downward spiral and eventually, those conditional prophecies became a certainty. As the sun rises and he peers through the morning mist and smoke at the rubble of his beloved city, Jeremiah falls to the ground, tears streaming down his face as sobs shake his body. Jerusalem is GONE! It had been the capital for some 400 years and now it’s just GONE! In Lamentations we see the very heart of Jeremiah. He had poured himself into the task God had given him to bring Judah back before it was too late and now his heart is broken. Why Jerusalem? WHY? WHY? WHY? The 1st explanation – “they sinned greatly”. • Lamentations 1:8 - Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away. The 2nd explanation – “God is righteous” - God did it and He was right in what He did. • Lamentations 1:18 - The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into exile.
    [Show full text]
  • Chronicles and the Reception of Lamentations As Two Modes of Interacting with the Jeremianic Tradition?1
    http://scriptura.journals.ac.za/ Scriptura 110 (2012:2), pp. 176-189 THE JEREMIANIC CONNECTION: CHRONICLES AND THE RECEPTION OF LAMENTATIONS AS TWO MODES OF INTERACTING WITH THE JEREMIANIC TRADITION?1 Louis Jonker Old and New Testament Stellenbosch University Abstract A connection is often made between Lamentations and Chronicles in terms of the ancient Rabbinic tradition of Jeremianic authorship of Lamentations. Second Chronicles 35:25 is normally quoted as the instigation of this tradition, since this verse at the end of the Chronicler’s Josiah account connects Jeremiah to the singing of laments (qînôt). Recent scholarship does not attempt to settle the authorship issue in Lamentations, but rather shows how the later reception of Lamentations engages the Jeremianic theology in order to explain some difficult passages in this book. My contribution will be a comparative study in which the different modes of interacting with the Jeremianic tradition by Chronicles and the Lamentations reception will be investigated. The presence of Jeremiah as the most prominent of the classical prophets in Chronicles (in 2 Chronicles 35 and 36) will be studied in comparison with the more recent theories on the engagement of Jeremianic theology in the reception of Lamentations in Persian and later periods. Key Words: Lamentations, Jeremiah, Chronicles, Authorship, Reception History Introduction When discussing the authorship of the book of Lamentations, standard commentaries on this biblical book normally refer to the later tradition which links the prophet Jeremiah to Lamentations. These discussions normally include a reference to 2 Chronicles 35:25 as a possible link between Lamentations and Jeremiah.2 This link is normally constructed with reference to the fact that the Chronicler indicated in the death notice of King Josiah that the prophet Jeremiah sang a lament (Polel form of the verb qyn, the stem which is related to the noun qînah/qînôt, ‘lament/s’) after this king’s death.
    [Show full text]
  • Lamentations 2
    “The Agony: Is God Our Enemy?” Lamentations 2 There’s a story that I’ve told before from the pulpit that I think is so helpful that I must share it again. For those of you who’ve heard it before, hopefully it helps you to apply more to the text today. And, if you haven’t heard it before, I trust it’ll help you as well. It’s the story about a professor with his college students. In college, you get to your class and you are given a syllabus for the semester. It’s something that tells you all your homework assignments and when you are going to have quizzes and tests. This professor had given that syllabus to the students, but then came the day when the first paper was due. While the majority of students turned in the paper, there was a good percentage of students who hadn’t. So, the professor decided to give the students some time to make it up without penalty. Then came the date for the next paper due. Interestingly, there were more students who didn’t have the paper complete. And, the professor decided to given another extension. Finally, by the third paper due, the professor somehow knew that the majority of students didn’t have it done. The professor called out to one student, and that student, without a care, said he didn’t have it done. The professor had his gradebook open, and in front of the class said, “F.” Immediately the student chimed in and said, “NOT FAIR!” And the professor responded by saying, “You want what is fair?” And then he went back to the previous paper and wrote an “F” in that line, too.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Lamentations 2007 Edition Dr
    Notes on Lamentations 2007 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable Introduction TITLE AND POSITION The English title of this book comes from the Talmud (Baba Bathra 15a), which called it "Lamentations" (Heb. qinoth). The Hebrew Bible has the title "Ah, how" or " Alas" (Heb. 'ekah), the first word in the first, second, and fourth chapters. The title in the Septuagint is "Wailings" (Gr. Threnoi). The position of Lamentations after Jeremiah in the English Bible follows the tradition of the Septuagint and Vulgate versions. They placed it there because of its connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, which Jeremiah recorded, and the Jewish tradition that Jeremiah wrote both books. In the Hebrew Bible Lamentations occurs between Ruth and Ecclesiastes as the third book of the "Megilloth" or "Scrolls" within the third and last major division of the Old Testament, namely, the "Hagiographa" or "Writings."1 WRITER AND DATE This book does not identify its writer. The common view that Jeremiah wrote it rests on a preface in the Greek Septuagint, which the Latin Vulgate adopted and elaborated on. The Septuagint version of Lamentations begins, "And it came to pass after Israel had been taken away into captivity and Jerusalem had been laid waste that Jeremiah sat weeping and lamented this lamentation over Jerusalem and said." The Vulgate added, "with a bitter spirit sighing and wailing." The translators of these ancient versions may have deduced Jeremiah's authorship of Lamentations from 2 Chronicles 35:25: "Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day.
    [Show full text]